Saskatchewan is Sand Dune Capital of Canada

If you like sand dunes, Saskatchewan should definitely be on your must-visit list. It’s home to both the largest and second largest sets of dunes in the country, plus a few others thrown in for variety. Some are easy to visit and others take more effort and planning. All have stunning scenery. Here are four of our favourite areas to go play in the sand:

Great Sand Hills

The Great Sands Hills of southwest Saskatchewan have the second largest sand dunes in Canada, and are the easiest to visit – you simply drive right up to them. the Great Sand Hills encompass some 1,900 square kilometres, one the largest areas of native mixed grass prairie in Saskatchewan. Stabilized hummocky covered with prairies grasses comprise most of hills. Active moving dunes account for less than 5% of the hills, but they are definitely the most impressive feature.

To get there, head to Sceptre, about 20 km east of Leader along Hwy #32. Your first stop should be the Great Sand Hills Museum and Interpretive Centre along the highway in Sceptre for an orientation to the area. From the east side of Sceptre, go south 9.6 km, west 1.6 km, then south 9.6 km. Seeing active sand dunes right beside the road takes many people by surprise. From the parking area you can hike throughout the fascinating dune fields, which keep changing with the prevailing winds. As with sand dunes anywhere, prime times to visit include just before sunset or just after sunrise, when the sand takes on a warm glow. helo

Douglas Dunes

Located near the eastern shore of Lake Diefenbaker, these dunes are also easy to visit. Head to Douglas Provincial Park and the trailhead for the Cacti Trail, which is immediately across Hwy #19 from the entrance to the park’s core area. After a walk of a half hour or so, you come to spur trail leading to the active sand dunes. You can walk through a vast area of rippled ridges, bowl-shaped blowouts, trees with exposed routes, circles in the sand made by blades of grass being whipped by the wind, and other dune features.

Sand circles

Good Spirit Lake

Good Spirit Lake Provincial Park is in east-central Saskatchewan. The park’s highlight is a long stretch of sandy beach lined by hummocky sand dunes. A visit here is essentially a walk on the beach, with short side excursions to see dune formations only a few steps inland. The lake is quite shallow, so during low water conditions the beach is also lined with a series of attractive sand bars.

Athabasca Sand Dunes

This is the big daddy of sand dunes – the largest in Canada and the largest this far north anywhere in the world. They are highly unusual in that they aren’t located in a desert or an arid region, but smack in the middle of boreal forest lakelands. The vast dune area, which includes three rivers and part of the south shore of Lake Athabasca, is now protected in Athabasca Sand Dunes Provincial Park. Getting there takes a lot of planning, since the area is remote with no facilities. But the isolation and unspoiled nature is what makes it all the more compelling. For a more extensive look at these dunes, see our Dec. 31, 2017 posting. Here is a small sample of images to get you started.

Knife edge crest of a giant dune.

William River

Massive walls of sand lining the west bank of the William River take on a pinkish tinge just before sunrise.

Hi Lila. Many of the dunes are right along the shore of Lake Athabasca, so it isn’t essential to canoe along the river, although it’s the option that we like the best. Some people get dropped off on the lake shore then hike from there. There are a few different options for departure points. Stony Rapids is the main transportation hub on Lake Athabasca, and from there you can arrange a float plane to fly you in. We have also heard of people flying into Fond du Lac or Uranium City then arranging for boat transport. There are occasional organized excursions to the dunes, but not that many. The best bet is Churchill River Canoe Outfitters in Missinipe http://www.churchillrivercanoe.com – they sometimes offer trips. The University of Saskatchewan Extension Division used to organize trips, but we’re not sure if they do anymore. It might also be worthwhile checking with Tourism Saskatchewan to see if they know of any organized trips. If you’re thinking of going and have more questions, feel free to contact us.

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Meet Robin & Arlene

Robin and Arlene are authors of 13 books, including bestsellers and award-winners, plus they have contributed travel writing and photography to well over 100 other publications around the world. read more...

Awards & Achievements

June, 2018: Our article Sleeping with Rhinos on Photojourneys won First Place for the Best Outdoor/Adventure Feature at the Travel Media Association of Canada awards.

February, 2018: Our photo of Saskatchewan’s William River received a Highly Commended award in the Habitat and Landscapes category of the WildlifePhoto.com international nature photography competition.

Photo Journeys was named among the 100 Best Travel Photography Blogs on the web by FeedSpotJune, 2017: Our photo of two Alaskan Brown Bears fighting over prime fishing spots in Katmai National Park, Alaska won 1st place in the Best Action Photo Award in the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC) national awards.

May, 2017: Our photo was named a Finalist in the Siena International Photo Awards. The 2017 competition received 50,000 entries from 130 countries. The photo was of an Alaskan Brown Bear and salmon in Katmai National Park, Alaska.

February, 2017: Our photo of an Alaskan Brown Bear and salmon was awarded Highly Commended status in the Animal Behaviour Category of the 2016 WildlifePhoto.com competition. The image will be part of a photo exhibit at Big Screen Plaza in New York City.

June, 2016: Our photo of a brown bear fishing for salmon in Katmai National Park, Alaska, won 1st Place for the Best Action Photo at the Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC) Awards.

Our photo of Bufflehead ducks in their spring mating ritual won Outstanding Achievement in the Best Action Photo at the same awards.

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2017 Bestsellers

Our book, The Great Saskatchewan Bucket List, topped the list as the Number One Bestseller on SaskBooks' (Saskatchewan Publishers Group) of Saskatchewan-published books for 2017. This was the 6th year in a row that the Bucket List was in the Number One spot.